Juneteenth celebration held Sunday

July 1, 2013

MARTINSBURG - It was mostly a new experience for the approximately 50 people who attended Sunday's Juneteenth celebration, sponsored locally by the Martinsburg-Berkeley County NAACP at War Memorial Park.

Both Chapter President Danette Ross and Dr. Taylor Perry, who helped welcome guests, acknowledged that many folks aren't yet aware of this special celebration - also known as Emancipation Day because it marks the "oldest known celebration of the ending of slavery in America."

Dating back to 1865, it was on June 19 that the Union soldiers landed at Galveston, Texas, with news that the Civil War was over and slaves were free. However, that was two and one-half years after President Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation, which became official Jan. 1, 1863, Ross said.

Article Photos

Journal photo by Jenni VincentMartinsburg-Berkeley Chapter NAACP President Danette Ross, right, is joined by her son, Joshua, as he holds up a replica of the Juneteenth flag that was created to underscore the importance nationally of Emancipation Day and the freeing of the nation’s slaves.

Texas has officially recognized it as a state holiday since 1980, although today more than 30 states have either made it an official holiday or helped sponsor celebrations, Ross said.

Some cities sponsor weeklong celebrations, culminating on June 19, while others hold shorter celebrations, she said.

Locally, participants took part in a combined cookout and potluck dinner while also listening to speakers. Viola Johnson, along with Marcus Smith Jr. and Isaiah Everett, led the group in the West Virginia pledge. Various NAACP memorabilia was offered for sale, while "Wild and Wonderful West Virginia" pins were given to the guests in recognition of the state's recent 150th anniversary.

"This day is, of course, especially meaningful for black Americans, as it not only commemorates a historical day that forever changed the lives of hundreds of thousands of African Americans, but also marked one of the greatest moral victories in our nation's history," said Ross. While she spoke, her son Joshua - president of the local NAACP's youth committee - held up a replica of the Juneteenth Flag.

"It restored basic human rights to a group of Americans, who never should have been denied them in the first place," she said.

Taylor said that while Juneteenth is one of the oldest African American celebrations in the country, he had never celebrated it prior to moving to Berkeley County in 1980.

But he wasn't alone, since no one in the crowd indicated they had ever celebrated Juneteenth.

"As well as recounting the stories of the past, Juneteenth celebrations strive to acknowledge the wrongs that were committed on slaves and to help raise our descendants up to concentrate on education and personal achievement," he said.

Jada Brooks, 11, who will be a sixth-grader at Potomack Intermediate School in the fall, said it's sad to think about what slaves suffered - especially not being able to be with their families or enjoy many personal freedoms.

"But I'm glad it's now and that I can be me - all of me," Brooks said with a proud smile.